A 1-0 win has a revivalist ring to it for Chelsea fans. The margin speaks of the organisation and resilience that served the club so well not all that long ago. This, all the same, was scarcely a grinding affair. Guus Hiddink's team is quite well-equipped to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. They both attacked with verve on occasion, particularly at Didier Drogba's splendid goal, and resisted efficiently while seeing out the victory in the closing 20 minutes.

The visitors gradually developed momentum yet the Chelsea goalkeeper, Petr Cech, was extended fully by only one effort from Alessandro Del Piero. Margins are fine when teams of this status meet and Pavel Nedved narrowly failed to equalise after letting fly in stoppage time. Recognition of the fact that the victory was hard-earned will be valuable to footballers seeking to re-establish themselves.

There is a perception that Chelsea are an old team. This is exaggerated and they began the match with three players in their thirties, while Juventus had half a dozen. The real task for Hiddink is to purge the staleness that has gradually taken hold of the team since the departure of Jose Mourinho. The problem is more psychological than physical and it is being addressed vigorously.

The mood of the volatile Drogba, in particular, has also improved remarkably. He had been so eager to deny there was any disadvantage to having the first leg at home that he had said: "Why can't we go out and prove the theory wrong by sticking four past Juve?"

That was fanciful and the real significance of the Ivorian's comment lay in its tone of excitement. Moody as he can be, Drogba's volatility does include periods of intensity. This was one of them. The striker was beyond control even before he had established the early lead. Cristian Molinaro, the left-back, was frantic enough to barge the striker in the back when a cross came over in the 11th minute and was fortunate the referee, Olegario Benquerenca, did not award a penalty.

There was no further reprieve, though, as Chelsea took the lead with an admirable goal a minute later. Salomon Kalou contrived to thread a fine pass through the centre of the defence when it looked impossible to find the correct angle and Drogba swept the ball into the corner of the net. It was his first goal since Boxing Day. Despite the seeming air of conservatism in a 4-1-4-1 system, there was actually plenty of licence to drive into the attack then. Juventus, accordingly, had scope for daring of their own.

Hiddink, indeed, recognised the uneven nature of this win. His side had not been able to pin down Juventus. Tiago, a Chelsea midfielder when the Premier League title came to Stamford Bridge in 2005, set up Del Piero for the effort in the 22nd minute that was turned behind excellently by Cech. There was nothing here of the tedious prudence that might have been anticipated. The Juventus manager, Claudio Ranieri, used, of course, to be in charge of Chelsea and his boldness even went out of control when he mishandled the 2004 Champions League semi-final with Monaco.

He must have been seeking to impress the new Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, then but instead made sure that he would lose his post. It is creditable that Ranieri has done so much at Juventus to enhance his reputation. Some of the credit is surely due him for the continued commitment of men such as Del Piero and Nedved, who are 34 and 36 respectively.

His team improved after the interval and the substitute Marco Marchionni came close with an angled effort that went marginally wide. The tempo stayed high and the visitors, despite the seeming venerability, discovered the energy within themselves to pin down Chelsea. Hiddink can still be glad that someone like Kalou, too often subdued in the past, took such heart from his sublime part in the opener.

He had been an important contributor before he faded slightly and was replaced by Florent Malouda. If Chelsea had shed their adventure as the game entered the closing 20 minutes it could have been because the score was satisfactory. Juventus were far from fatalistic and John Terry, who has not always been in peak condition during this campaign, had to sustain his domination in the air and in the tackle.

The emphasis was on the England captain because Ricardo Carvalho's smooth efficiency is missed while he recovers from injury. Even Cech floundered in two attempts to gather a loose ball in the second half. Nonetheless the problems were limited.

Chelsea's general steadiness here makes the impact of Hiddink's apparently brief stay all the more fascinating. In truth, his squad do not look like feasible contenders for the Champions League, even if they were finalists last season. However, the Dutchman has had little time and already there has been enough improvement to make people wonder just what he might achieve in a hectic few months.